Coaches aren’t just tacticians. They aren’t mere man-managers or scouts either. They need to be all of the above and more to succeed in a landscape as competitive as the NBA of today. In that vein, Lakers coach JJ Redick, a master at tactics and analysis, is taking no days off as he works hard to round out his skill set as a coach.
We’ve all seen how much JJ has done for the Lakers after taking the reins this season. Any doubts about him being hired because of his relationship with LeBron James seem a distant memory now. Even so, JJ keeps working hard trying to make sure he’s doing the best job he can. To that end, he attended the Nike Hoop Summit held on April 12 in Portland, Oregon, to scout some of the upcoming talent for the Lakers.
This international event, sponsored by the multi-billion dollar apparel giant Nike, pits some of the greatest basketball talent in the world against each other. The format is Team USA vs the World team. Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving are just a few among the legendary players to have participated in the Nike Hoop Summit over the years. And it’s a great place for talented youngsters to show their mettle before making it to the NBA. And that’s probably why JJ was there this year.
JJ Redick at the Nike Hoop Summit… not just an exceptional NBA Coach. he’s also a scout pic.twitter.com/YaYxwWMRZd
— ♕𝕕𝕒𝕧𝕠𓅓 (@shpillo_) April 13, 2025
Last year’s top scorer for Team USA is one of the most touted prospects in the country, Cooper Flagg. Just goes to show the elite talent that plays at the Hoop Summit. But with the event over, it’s back to the grind for JJ as the Lakers look to close out the regular season with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nevertheless, JJ didn’t just go to the Hoop Summit as a fan. He must have taken note of at least a few top-notch talents this year. And who knows, perhaps he and the Lakers will pick them up in the 2025 NBA. So here are a few that may have caught the Lakers’ head coach’s eye this year.
Were there any standouts at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit with JJ Redick in attendance?
AJ Dybantsa, Darius Acuff Jr., and Tounde Yessoufou were the highest scorers of the game this year. All three of them are among the top-rated prospects in their class. ESPN has Dybantsa as their highest-rated prospect for the class of 2025. Dybantsa will join BYU this year after graduating from high school.
In fact, 6 of the top eight ranked players of ESPN’s class of 2025 played in the Hoop Summit this year. This includes the aforementioned Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer of Christopher Columbus High School.
These players will be ones to watch in the years to come. And being the shrewd analyst of the game that he is, JJ Redick recognized this. Perhaps that’s why he chose to attend the Summit this year. Regardless, with Luka Doncic on the roster and JJ Redick playing scout in his downtime, the Lakers might never have to worry about their future prospects ever again!
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